i get behind in the area of pop-culture sometimes especially as it relates to Christian politics. i read Stetzer’s blog on the Manhattan Declaration. if you haven’t heard of it, the MD is a declaration drafted by some pretty smart guys that i have a lot of respect for. at this date around 270 thousand people have signed it. the MD says that it is a collaborative effort of Eastern Orthodox, Catholics, and Evangelical Christians. a good group to which to identify.

the bottom line is that the MD states in very simple terms, that we the above groups and individuals believe in the sanctity of human life (pro-life), the sanctity of marriage and the conjugal rights of men and women (pro-marriage) and in the rights of the conscience and religious liberty (hmmm?). AMEN BROTHER!

here’s my problem, not that i don’t believe in all of those things, i do. i vote pro-life whenever possible as long as the individual seems halfway sane. i vote pro-marriage almost everytime. it is the third item to which i wonder if the drafters truly believe. i know i’m gonna sound like a heretic here, but most of us (sometimes me included) will stand up for your rights as long as they agree with mine. for instance, as i said, i am pro-life, but there are well-meaning (although misdirected) individuals in the church that do not believe that pro-life is the be all or end all of Christian belief and practice. should pro-life be a test of one’s faith? so do we exclude those folks from our fellowship?

here’s my second beef with the entire pro-life movement of which again i must admit my hypocrisy. i think that most of them are somewhat hypocritical. if life is so sacred to them, then why are so many pro-death penalty. i know, innocence, and all that. i know the Bible prescribes death (old testament anyway) but where is grace. if you really want to get old testament then there are a lot of well-known and perhaps lesser known preacher’s we need to bring to the public square and stone for their infidelity and adultery. just want to be consistent.

so, to end this rant, 1. why do i want to publicly sign and make a declaration that separates me from so many i want to reach for Christ? and 2. do we really believe in religious liberty and freedom of conscience. many, if not most, of us believe in freedom for US, but restriction for THEM. and this is true of almost every sub-group in America, if you speak against the gay life-style, it is hate speech. if you declare that Jesus is the way and exclude others, that is hate speech.

some years ago i got to go to Israel. we went to the mount on which Elijah the prophet taunted the prophets of Baal and then lit the fire. i almost wish we could come to that point (not the taunting, but the testing) let’s put it out in the public square and see if Jesus doesn’t come out on  top every time. my bet (although betting is sinful some say) is Jesus wins at every turn, more compassion, more giving, more loving, more provisional, more, more, more. let’s sign that declaration.

a few years ago i got to spend some time with Leith Anderson of Woodland Church in Minnesota. they do a lot of church planting and he is one of the leaders in churches that plant churches.

one of the things that Dr. Anderson said to us was, “churches should be a part of something larger than themselves.” at that time their church was struggling with their denomination. in the midst of the struggle Dr. Anderson was leading his church to study and assess which denomination they would become a part of should they decide to sever ties with the present denomination.

this morning we had a meeting at our offices with some local denominational guys. guys that have bought into what WRC has done in the area of church planting (other areas too but i’m discussing church planting).

i’ve said before that i am about as Southern Baptist as you can get. born, raised, saved, baptized, educated both college and seminary in SBC. i believe in cooperation. i believe that Dr. Anderson is correct that churches should be part of something larger than themselves. but you don’t get cooperation through demands and percentages. (btw: the guys we talked with this morning are not demanding anything. we have a great relationship with them.) i don’t know where the idea took hold that churches OUGHT to give 10%. i think a church should give at least that to missions, but missions involves more than a denominational affiliation: there’s associational giving, there’s foreign trips, church planting, benevolence, local missions and missions projects. probably more but you get the idea.

i don’t know the figures and it’s probably a study for Stetzer some day, but i wonder if you compare the giving of churches that are doing missions such as foreign trips, local missions, and church planting how their overall giving would compare to a church that is only giving to a denomination. or does when WRC gives to Engage Atlanta, CAYA, Warehouse of Hope, Paulding Pregnancy, send a missionary couple to Africa, help pay the salary of an FCA representative in our community,  15 church plants, build 1000 wells in Africa, start churches in Cuba, Africa, Jamaica, and 13 states around the U.S. does that not count? How many churches doing that level of missions are also giving 10% to a network or denomination? my bet is NONE.

do denominational types that require a %age that turns church planters away not realize that a small %age from several churches is more than a 10% gift from one large church?

on the other hand church planters…if you agree to take a denominations/networks money then be a person of integrity and live up to your obligations. we were recently denied funding for one of our church plants because of 10 churches in this area that took the money, only 2 have lived up to their promise. that unfortunately is not integrity. i know you are autonomous and i cannot force you to give, but if you take the money obey the rules. if you don’t want to be held to that standard then don’t take the money. you hurt the rest of us.

our denomination has a minimum that recognizes you as one of theirs. it is ridiculously low. but it is the rules. we are above the minimum, we ought to get full participation. if you don’t want to recognize that then change the rules.

the other interesting thing is that when you research the giving of churches of pastors that are making those decisions, very FEW of them are giving at the level required of church plants. can we spell hypocrites?

so: 1. be part of something bigger than yourself; 2. if you take the money, live up to your side of the covenant. 3. you’re either a member or your not, change the rules if you are going to exclude based on giving. 4. can’t we all just get along?

go ye therefore and plant some churches.

after getting through the Thanksgiving season it is time to return to work. i am truly blessed that i get to do what i do. i get to meet often with young men that have great dreams and visions. you know kinda like what the scripture says, “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” only Luke says the old men will have dreams.

in the last few days i’ve heard the story of Matt Chandler, church planter/pastor of Village Church in the Dallas, TX area. he found out this past week that he has a tumor on the brain. One of the strongest preachers and leaders in the church today. i don’t know that i have ever heard Matt speak that he didn’t stir my heart and challenge me. Matt, his family, and his church are worthy of our prayers.

then i got by email a request for prayer for a family and church i had never heard of, The Sanctuary Fellowship, church planter/pastor Thomas Young in an argument with his wife apparently shot himself in the heat of the moment and was killed. I went to the church website to learn what I could about this young man. on the staff page he has entered his testimony. it is a story of pain and heartache from early in his life, struggle with abandonment and adoption by an unhealthy family, divorce by his adoptive parents, drugs, alcohol, unhealthy religious experiences, ultimately salvation and ministry. good ministry, touching peoples lives, making a difference in a community, dozens of testimonies on the website from kids whose lives were changed in his youth ministry.

satan attacks us at our weakest point. often he begins in our thought life, “you’re no good.” God couldn’t use you.” someone’s gonna find out the sin in your life.” how can you be a pastor and think thoughts like that?” “a good pastor wouldn’t talk to his wife and children like that.” “that guy down the road is more qualified to lead than you are, step aside.” ”you don’t do anything right.” “if you were smarter, more handsome, had a better personality, more talented, more outgoing, less outgoing, spoke better, etc. etc. etc. CONDEMNATION.

i don’t mean this as bragging but God has brought me to be on staff at one of the largest, most influential church planting churches, community transforming, giving, living it out churches in America, recently recognized for our intern program by a national ministry magazine, and still satan whispers in my ear, “someday people are gonna find out you bluffed your way up here.” “jim, who are you kidding, you can’t do this.” “what about that argument you had with your wife the other day, who are you trying to kid.” now it’s “you’re past your prime, no one wants to hear from an old man.” CONDEMNATION.

here’s the truth. “There is therefore, NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS.” i am IN CHRIST. God has changed me. But it’s still a daily battle. I realize Jesus won the war, but i’m still in the battle and so are you. Church Planters, Pastors, staff, leaders, you are in a battle, you have to wear the armor. satan is out to get you – financial ruin, attacking your marriage, attacking you, sickness, infidelity, your thought life. Guys and girls you got to take care of yourself – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. you need someone you can talk to when you are struggling, a confidante, a friend, a mentor, a coach, and (gasp) maybe a counselor. i recently said this to another friend in ministry, “you have my number, you have my email address, you know where i live, you know where i work and still you let your _____________ fall apart without calling out for help.” i’m a pretty good listener, did marriage counseling for years, was even licensed in Louisiana (happy thought: Go Saints!). i’m here, there are others that will listen without condemnation. don’t walk it alone.

this morning i am going to pray through my church planters list. i will include Matt and the Young Family. join me.